I HAVE previously written about Operation Flinders, which provides outback adventure programs for disengaged youth.
It's a highly successful organisation that has been running for 30 years. The program takes place at Yankaninna Station in the northern Flinders Ranges, about 570 kilometres from Adelaide. Besides the great work it does with disadvantaged young people, I was quite awestruck by the logistics involved.
I have seen upfront the way the systems work up at Yankaninna, but I hadn't really set my mind to how the people, equipment and food is all transported from Adelaide to the station and back again. It's a mammoth task that takes a lot of planning.
I recently had an illuminating conversation with a key person from Operation Flinders, and I was told some of the main issues they focus on to make it all happen.
The first thing that came out was the use of a 'Gantt' chart or similar. Every process is planned and cross-referenced to see whether it will work. There are several hundred volunteer field staff that are involved, and all aspects of what we do, and when, is planned 12 months in advance.
About 500 participants from 50 schools are involved each year. Logistics for this must also be considered, including movement plans for the buses on the day of insertion and extraction.
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Resources such as sleeping bags and packs are imported. Operation Flinders is presently scouring the country to purchase stock on hand, this way any supply disruption can be managed.
Rations are sourced from wholesalers six weeks before each exercise. Four weeks before the trip, 100 ration boxes are packed in Adelaide; two weeks prior, the truck is packed in Adelaide, and one week prior the truck heads to the station. Then the rations are delivered to campsites. There's a lot more to it, but it's all meticulously planned.
In my mind, this has a direct correlation to how many farms operate. Most agribusinesses I deal with have farms that are not adjoining, and there's always a lot of travel between properties. Some farmers do this really well and pre-plan extensively, while others take a "she'll be right" type of attitude. These people seem to spend more time driving between properties collecting things they've forgotten, than actually getting the job done.
Efficiency gains are there for the taking for those that are willing to plan ahead and execute properly.
I've seen examples of large cropping operations that take a military type of approach to seeding and harvest. It's almost like they're channelling General John Monash with their level of detail.
The upside of this type of thinking is that when the hurdles or roadblocks present themselves, it's not a massive problem as there's always another option.
This type of can-do attitude will serve the agribusiness quite well. The other benefit is that this frame of mind is rather infectious and will likely rub off on others.
- Details: bagshawagriconsulting.com.au
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